Community reflects on disaster

EVENTS of the past week have left Toowoomba and surrounds in shock and for the first time on Friday residents of the Garden City, Darling Downs and Lockyer Valley are invited to come together as a community.

An ecumenical day of sharing, reflection and prayer will be held at St Luke’s Anglican Church at the corner of Ruthven and Herries streets from 9am.

Organised by the region’s Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran and Uniting churches, the informal day of gathering is a chance for the community to come together and share feelings and experiences or just to have a chat.

Anglican Bishop of the Western Region Bishop Rob Nolan said everyone was invited to attend throughout the day and spend as long as they wished in the church.

"We will have opening prayers at 9am and closing prayers at 5pm with an ecumenical service at noon," Bishop Nolan said.

"It will be a time of reflection, a chance to find a quiet space or to have a chat with others.

"A lot of people are just stunned by the events of this week.

"We are a fairly close community and it is hoped this will bring everyone together with an opportunity to make some spiritual contact."

Bishop Nolan said counsellors would be available for advice or simply for a friendly chat.